Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Princesses Promote Parade

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Princesses Promote Parade: Princesses Promote Parade  BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 24- Young Bronx princesses got their chance to shine and promote the upcoming Bronx Pue...

Princesses Promote Parade

Princesses Promote Parade 

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 24- Young Bronx princesses got their chance to shine and promote the upcoming Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade Inc., presented their annual Miss PR. Infantil for young girls of ages 6-9 years old on April 18, 2015. It was held at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) located at 2500 Halsey Street, Bronx New York. 

The coordinator for this event was: Melissa Martinez. The Miss Puerto Rico Infantil Pageant is a traditional coronation event that selects a queen, 1st princess and 2nd princess for the annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade on May 31st. 

The pageant consisted of three categories in which each has a point scale. The three categories consisted of Talent, Evening Wear and Questions. Additional special

awards were chosen by the contestants themselves in which they voted for the most friendly (Ms. Amistad), and for the contestant who raised the most money (Ms. Cooperaciòn). Ms. Fotogenica (Ms. Photogenic)was chosen by none other than one of the photographers at the event. 

Subsequently, judges scored the contestants on stage presence, eye contact, and confidence as they demonstrated their individual talents. The third category of evening wear consisted of the girls modeling elegant evening gowns. Judges searched for poise, presence, and confidence as they modeled the stage. For each category, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places were filled with the winners with the most points. 

The heaviest weighed segment of the Infantil pageant was the Questions & Answers portion. The winners were

chosen based on the following characteristics: confidence, composure, charisma, speech, vocabulary, grammar and communication. 

Winners included: 1st princess Kayla Cordero, Queen Jade Rivera, and 2nd princess, Alani Lopez. The judges at the pageant included: Bryanna Borges, Alexa Tirado, Felicita Rivera, andRev. Carmen Hernandez. The young ladies each represented the different cities of the Caribbean island and the order went as follows: Queen Jade Rivera represented Cabo Rojo, 1st princess Kayla Cordero represented Loiza, 2nd Princess Alani Lopez represented Bayamon, Olivia Lopez represented San Sebastian, Jazlene Class represented Humacao, and Jennifer Medina represented Ponce. 

In next to no time: the Juvenil Pageant for contestants ages 10-14 years old will be held on April 25, 2015 at the same location. The Women’s and Men’s Pageant will be scheduled for May 17thand May 23rd respectively, so be on the lookout for an announcement.

Also, save the date: Sunday, May 31st, will be the 29th annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Grand Concourse from 192nd street to Van Courtlandt Avenue East. The parade will kick-off at Poe Cottage Park at 10 am so stay tuned!  

#PuertoRicanDayParade #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with A...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with A...: Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients She called herself “Dr. Val” –but it’s alleged that Valbona Yzeiraj is...

Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients

Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients

She called herself “Dr. Val” –but it’s alleged that Valbona Yzeiraj is not only not a doctor – but also that the dental procedures she performed harmed her patients. 

Now, the 45-year-old woman faces criminal charges in the Bronx, announces Bronx County District Attorney Robert Johnson, as Yzeiraj was arraigned this week on the Supreme Court indictment which charged: assault in the second degree (Class D Felony, 2 counts); assault in the third degree (Class A Misdemeanor, 2 counts); unauthorized practice (NYS Education Law §6512) (Class E Felony, 5 counts); attempted grand larceny in the third degree (Class E Felony, 1 count) and reckless endangerment in the second degree (Class A Misdemeanor, 3 counts).

It is alleged that Yzeiraj of White Plains, NY, claimed to have had dental training in her home country of Albania, but was neither trained nor licensed in the United States. She is accused of treating patients at the office of Dr. Jeffrey Schoengold, at 3800 Independence Avenue, where she worked as an office manager. Some of her dental procedures, which included root canals, came with a bite – it is alleged that at least one patient got an infection from a botched root canal, and another suffers persistent pain two years after treatment.

The illegal dental practice is alleged to have been conducted between late 2012 and the summer of 2013, out of Dr. Schoengold’s offices, “Dr. Val” seeing patients when he was not there. When the dentist discovered her activities, Yzeiraj was fired. But it is further alleged when she left, she attempted to take money from the practice.

Yzeiraj pled not guilty to the charges before Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. Bail was set at $20K bond/$10K cash and her case has been adjourned to May 28^th. Justice Barrett also barred her from working anywhere in regard to dentistry for the duration of her case.

If convicted of the charges, Yzeiraj faces up to seven years behind bars. The charges in this indictment are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

#NYPD #BronxDA #PhonyDentist #Yzeiraj #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Healthcare Showdown

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Healthcare Showdown: Healthcare Showdown  Rigid Staffing #s Not Way to Improve Care- Hospital Execs say By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 23- ...

Healthcare Showdown

Healthcare Showdown 

Rigid Staffing #s Not Way to Improve Care- Hospital Execs say

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 23- Members of the New York City Hospital Alliance (NYCHA), currently negotiating a new contact between its five-member hospitals and roughly half of the 18,000 nurses currently working without a contract, has issued a statement after several thousand nurses held a rally at the State Capital in Albany.

The statement read in part, "The NYC Hospital Alliance 

continues to negotiate in good faith with NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association) to reach a fair contract that honors our nurses by protecting their strong health and pension benefits and offering a wage increase that keeps them among the best paid nurses in the country."

The statement continued, "NYSNA's insistence on rigid staffing ratios is not the way to improve patient care. Nor is there a shortage of nurses currently as the hospitals that make up the Alliance (who) have collectively hired 1,000 additional nurses since the last contract was signed."

In what could be a sticking point in any future negotiation, the NYCHA statement added, "In a changing healthcare landscape that requires flexibility and team-based approach, staffing levels and assignments must remain the responsibility of hospital management."

The statement concluded, "We are pleased that NYSNA has agreed to discuss the remaining issues during a joint mediation, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that recognizes the important contributions of all healthcare professionals and allows these hospitals to continue providing the highest quality care to all of their patients."

The NYCHA is made up of a select group of negotiators from Mount Sinai, St. Luke's, Roosevelt, Montefiore and New York-Presbyterian Hospital and is currently in the process of negotiating a new contract between those five hospital's and the nurses union.

The NYCHA boasts that it's five hospitals handle nearly one million emergency room visits and nearly six million outpatient visits each year.

Addressing the under-staffing concerns raised by the demonstrating nurses, Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Montefiore Hospital, stated, "In the last three years, Montefiore has added nearly 500 nurses, half of whom were hired to increase nurse staffing to meet patients' complex needs."

Heller maintains,"NYSNA is disparaging city hospitals to try and gain advantage in ongoing contract negotiations. We always have and always will work cooperatively with NYSNA to improve patient care, which is not just our top priority-- it is our only priority."

"Fixed staffing ratios," Heller continued, "Which NYSNA is requesting, are an outdated idea, have not been proven to improve health, and would actually undermine the team-based care model that works best for our patients."

Heller added, "We look forward to reaching an agreement that recognizes the important contributions of all of our health care professionals and allow us to continue providing the very best care for our patients."

#Healthcare #Nurses #Hospitals #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Death Over Parking Space

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Death Over Parking Space: Country Club Man Charged with Beating Neighbor to Death Over Parking Space BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 22- District Attorney Robert Johnson an...